COMPARISON OF THREE TREATMENT MODALITIES IN MYOFASCIAL PAIN SYNDROME

COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OFF DRY NEEDLING, EXTRACORPOREAL SHOCK WAVE THERAPY, AND TRANSCUTANEOUS PULSED RADIOFREQUENCY IN PATIENTS WITH MYOFASCIAL PAIN SYNDROME: A PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Status

Recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT07511751

Acronym

MPS-TREAT

Enrollment

Registered

2026-04-06

Start date

2026-03-10

Completion date

2027-03-10

Last updated

2026-05-07

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Myofascial Pain Syndrome

Keywords

myofascial pain syndrome, dry needling, ESWT, pulsed radiofrequency, pain

Brief summary

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of dry needling, extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), and pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. The primary outcomes include pain intensity and functional status. Patients will be randomly assigned to different treatment groups, and outcomes will be evaluated before and after the interventions. The results of this study are expected to contribute to determining the most effective treatment method for pain management.

Detailed description

Myofascial pain syndrome is a common musculoskeletal disorder characterized by trigger points and chronic pain. Various treatment modalities such as dry needling, extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), and pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) are used in clinical practice; however, there is no clear consensus on the most effective approach. This randomized, parallel-group study aims to compare the effectiveness of these three treatment methods in patients diagnosed with myofascial pain syndrome. Eligible patients aged between 18 and 65 years with chronic back pain lasting at least 3 months will be included in the study. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive dry needling, ESWT, or PRF treatment. Pain intensity will be assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and functional outcomes will also be evaluated. The study is expected to contribute to the current literature by providing comparative data on these commonly used treatment modalities and guiding clinical decision-making.

Interventions

PROCEDUREDry Needling

Dry needling applied to myofascial trigger points

PROCEDUREExtracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy applied to the painful area

PROCEDUREPulsed radiofrequency(PRF)

Pulsed radiofrequency applied to the target area for the treatment of myofascial pain syndrome

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Intervention model description

Participants will be assigned to three parallel groups receiving dry needling, extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), or pulsed radiofrequency (PRF), respectively.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 65 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Age between 18 and 65 years * Clinically diagnosed myofascial pain syndrome * Back pain lasting at least 3 months * Failure to respond to conservative treatments

Exclusion criteria

* History of cervical surgery or cervical disc pathology * Fibromyalgia * Shoulder pathologies * Coagulation disorders or use of anticoagulant therapy * Infection, malignancy, or inflammatory spinal diseases

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Pain Intensity	Baseline, 1 month, and 3 months after treatment	Pain intensity will be assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale(NRS). Pain intensity will be assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). Higher scores indicate greater pain severity.

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Pressure Pain Threshold	Baseline, 1 month, and 3 months after treatment	Pressure pain threshold will be measured using algometry. Pressure pain threshold will be measured using an algometer (kg/cm²). Higher values indicate lower pain sensitivity and improved clinical condition.
Neck Disability Index (NDI)	Baseline, 1 month, and 3 months after treatment	Functional status will be evaluated using the Neck Disability Index (NDI). Functional status will be assessed using the Neck Disability Index (NDI), with scores ranging from 0 to 50. Higher scores indicate greater functional impairment.
Quality of Life (SF-12	Baseline, 1 month, and 3 months after treatment	Quality of life will be assessed using the Short Form-12 (SF-12) questionnaire. The SF-12 includes physical and mental component summary scores, with higher scores indicating better health-related quality of life.

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Contacts

CONTACTAYSENUR IMAMOGLU BABA, MD,Resident

aysenurimamoglub@gmail.com+905437866097

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORKEMAL NAS, MD, Professor

Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital, Department of Algology

STUDY_CHAIRRIDVAN ISIK, MD